“A loved one died from suicide. Now what?”

You’re grieving. You need to know what to expect. This is a list of stages that you might go through when you’re grieving a loss this big.

Denial:  Numbness, not feeling anything, still in shock, it doesn’t seem real.

Isolation: Emotion might have been too much to deal with, and now you don’t want to feel anything at all. Feel dull, no energy, don’t feel like being around anyone else.

Not feeling good:  You might be feeling “sick” from emotions. Stomach aches, headaches, change in sleeping habits, skin problems, might be overusing drugs and alcohol.

Big outbursts: Suddenly angry (maybe at people that don’t deserve it), or crying ‘out of the blue.’ Feeling out of control. This feeling might come and go.

Guilt and Shame:  “I can’t do anything right”, “it’s my fault, I could have done more.”

Feeling Depressed:  Wondering how much worse things can possibly get. You might wake up in the morning and feel forced to get out of bed. Everything takes effort.

Anger:  Might feel angry at the person that died. This is a letting go, final break, very necessary.
Withdrawal – Stepping back. Taking a look at relationship and can see good and bad things, not so much raw emotion. Feelings a little more even.

Withdrawal:  Stepping back. Taking a look at relationship and can see good and bad things, not so much raw emotion. Feelings a little more even.

Hope:  Days are becoming better now. May still be angry at times, but bad times aren’t as long or as bad as they were before. Getting energy back a little more now.

New You:  You know that you’re stronger now than you used to be. You’re ready to move forward.

It might take a year or two to get through this cycle (not get over your loss, but simply begin healing), and you might find that you skip around from one to another a little bit.

Everyone goes through these kinds of stages in their own way. If you feel like you’re getting ‘stuck’ in one stage for too long……. Get someone to give you a hand getting through it. Talking to a professional is best, someone that has experience in ‘bereavement’ or ‘grief’ issues. It’s a sign of strength to reach out and get yourself the assistance that you need.